Anyone got any good stories about the car that got away--i.e. a car they didn't get that they've been kicking themselves over for years?
I'm pretty lucky. I haven't had too many of those. The only ones that come to mind are a sweet 58 or 60 Rambler station wagon, that was almost mint, for $800 that I didn't have, and a nice 62 mercury for $900.
A friend, however, has the best story I know of: when 15, someone he knew GAVE him one of those gull winged Mercedes from the 1950s because it had some problem w/the tranny or rear end. He towed it home and his dad, who was a shadetree mechanic, took one look and said "get that German piece of shit out of here--I won't have a foreign car on my property!"
The closest I can come to one is my 70 Dodge Coronet 440. Just happened to see it sitting in someones driveway with no plates so I stopped to ask. 20 minutes later, I'm driving her home for a measly $425. About 4 months later I was laid off and a friend of a friend needed some parts off it. Needing the cash, I sold it to him for $800. I'm still kicking myself to this day.
Yeah, I got one of those stories. This one got away as well. When we finally got the cash in hand and went out there, he couldn't sell it anymore. The kid's mother had wrecked her car and took his Explorer to drive it. That left with him with the Mustang to get back and forth to college and work with.
I have heard all my life about how people will be searching for a car and just can't find it. Then one day they just happen to be out driving or something and they see what they want out in a field...or maybe and old barn. So they stop and ask about it, maybe find out if the person will sell it or whatever, and find the baby of their dreams. A steal they always say,
1 owner, low mileage, always garaged, or never driven except to town. All that "used car salesman" crap.
My Honda lost power like crazy while we were at the lake on Saturday (Doing some Hobie Cat sailing baby). We limped it down to my Honda guy and he said he would look at it Sunday morning. I posted on this earlier. Anyhow, so today I called my brother at work and asked him if he would let my wife borrow his Cavalier so she could get to work. He has a truck he can drive. We went back to his house so I could drop him off and we by chance went the back way. The first time I had ever been this way during daylight. About a mile from his house I saw what appeared to be a 82 or 83 Mustang sitting in a field by a trailer. Looked nice, faded maroon red paint, flat black louvers on the back glass. I didn't get a good look though. I dropped him off and went back by and thought "What the hell". I pulled in and went to the door. The guy came outside and we started talking about the Mustang. I figured it could be a good parts car so I asked him if he would sell it. He brought his son out and we walked over to the car. Upon closer inspection I found that the paint was barely oxidized on the roof and hood. The louvers are in excellent shape, body has 1 tiny dent behind the left door at the bottom. I could not find anything wrong on the outside other than the 1 tiny dent. Inside was very clean, hardly faded, no burns or stains. Nice stereo in it, decent speakers. Odometer showed 189K. I noticed it had a 5-speed, so I then started my questions on the engine and tranny. The engine was rebuilt at 180k (wow, less than 10k on it), tranny was rebuilt and came out of a 91G T, replacing the stock 4speed that was in it. Engine is a 302 with a 2barrel carb. The rear-end has less than 5k miles on it, with 3.73 gears being in it now. Car has not been driven in 2 months.
Seems mom and dad bought the car when they got married, gave it to their son when he turned 16, and he only drove it to school and back, which was about
4 miles away. He drives a brand new Explorer now and likes to drive it. The ac works great, heater too. All belts,hoses etc. are new. Started the car up and it purred like you would not believe...sounded so friggin' sweet. I was hooked instantly. The son and I stood outside for an hour talking about Mustangs. Finally, I asked him what he wanted for it. He had no idea what to say so he went inside and asked his dad. Less than 2 minutes later, he came back and out and told me that his dad wanted exactly what he had put into it moneywise. I thought I was about to be told 5k or something. $2700 and I could have the title. MY GOD, I about dropped a load. I asked him if they were going to put a for sale sign on it and he said no. If someone came in like I did and asked, they could pull out the cash, but he would not advertise. He really didn't want to sell it, but would be happy to let it go to another Mustang person.
Here is the greatest part of it all. MY WIFE AGREED TO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was freaking out when she said okay. Unless we find away to get some extra cash, we are going to sell an old van we have and the 88. Should only need a few hundred bucks after that.
I have found a replacement for my lack of displacement. I now have a new mission, and it is to own this car.
Sorry this was so damn long...but I think I found the deal of a lifetime. Oh yeah, and the 26 year veteran Ford mechanic. Receipts and paperwork is good to go on the car, everything checks out on the parts and work they have done to it. I haven't driven it yet, but will go do that this week. Then have my Mustang buddy check her over. I hope it is as good as it sounds.
Don Manning
"vince garcia" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@ix.netcom.com...
70-72 Buick GS (don't recall 350 or 455), was traded in at Ford dealer and it went to his daily auction lot where it sold for $100. I was 16 at the time and begged my Dad to grab it.
Instead he picked up a 73 Pontiac Grand Am (400) for the same $100 (sold it years later for $3500)...
My parents in their infinite wisdom (I would have killed myself at that age) made me pass two cars in high school. 70 Boss 302 for $2500 and a 67 GTO for $2000.
In 1986 I passed on a 1969 Mach 1 428 Cobra Jet seling for $1100. Car was pretty rusty, but the 428 was strong, never felt that kind of acceleration before or since. It had been drag raced and had "I race at Norwalk" sticker on the back. Owner would not let me test drive it, even with him in the seat, so I passed...
snipped-for-privacy@aol.com (Mike) wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@mb-m23.aol.com:
Ouch!
Here's one you'll appreciate, Mike:
Back in '86 I was having trouble deciding between a loaded Bronco II
4x4 and a GN (both roughly the same price). I bought the Bronco II because I lived in northern NJ at the time and I figured the GN would get trashed by the lousy winters and bad roads. Had I gone the other way, you can bet I'd still have the GN today.
Joe Black '03 Dakota 5.9 R/T CC Calypso Green '93 Mustang 5.0 LX hatch with a few goodies
My Ex and I built a 69 Chevy C-10 for me from the frame up. It was incredible. What wasn't pearl esscent baby blue or white was chrome and the engine was built to a sweet bubba buaba buh buh.. man it was a beautiful machine. The old Vette valve covers polished up and old factory Vette hedders, nice lopy cam, makes my heart flutter just thinking about it again. Just as we got it ready to put on the road, we discovered the block we had thought was pre 60 something (at that time smog exempt) we found out it was a few years newer and wouldn't smog without being completely ruined. A week or so later a guy came into the shop and offered us WAAAYY too much money for it, and I sold it to him.
I still kick myself in the ass for that one. If I ever run across it again, I will definitely buy it back.
I had to take a pass on various cheap big-block 69 mach 1s and a BOSS 429 when I was in HS. Since this was just before the boom in the late 1980s, I could have made a huge profit.
About 1978 I was building a new motor for my '69 Mach I. A friend needed a running 351 W motor for his work truck. He offered to swap my old 351W 4bbl that I was pulling out for his Grabber Blue '69 Boss 429 he used to drag race. I don't think it had a few thousand miles on it.I said no.
1979 I was working at NY National Speedway as a tech inspector. A man and his family ask if I want to buy their family car. 1969 GT350 convertible. Mint for $5000. I was just buying a house and getting married. I said no.
1968 California special 390 4 speed car. Decided to pass on this car because of sucky gas mileage. It was 1979 and we had gas lines. Two weeks later I bought a 66 Mustang coupe 289 3 speed from the original owner. That car is still in my garage. I wish the GT/CS was there instead.
Erich How many big block California specials were made? How many BB 4 speed cars?
I had a "Bronc-ette" I loved it. Traded it in in 94 for a brand new Exploder 2 door sport. I would own another if I could get my hands on one in decent shape.
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